Dorial Green-Beckham arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession

Oct. 4, 2012

Written by

MASCHOCH@NEWS-LEADER.COM

Dorial Green-Beckham's announced his decision to attend the University of Missouri during a signing ceremony at Hillcrest High School on Wednesday, February 1, 2012. / Valerie Mosley/News-Leader

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Springfield’s Dorial Green-Beckham will miss Saturday’s football game for the University of Missouri because of a suspension after a marijuana arrest.

The top-rated recruit and freshman at Mizzou was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession late Wednesday, campus police said today.

At 11:49 p.m. Wednesday, a patrol officer found five players in a white 2004 Lincoln Navigator in Lot G, a large parking lot to the south of Faurot Field. The officer detected the smell of marijuana and found the players to be in possession of less than 35 grams of marijuana, according to University of Missouri Police Capt. Brian Weimer.

The car was registered to Green-Beckham, Weimer said.

Players Levi Copelin and Torey Boozer also were arrested —despite a city ordinance that prohibits arrests for misdemeanor pot possession — before being released with a summons to appear in court at a later date.

In addition, the university said freshman defensive tackle Harold Brantley and freshman tight end Brandon Holifield were suspended for their role in the incident, although the pair was not arrested.

Weimer said Brantley and Holifield were not arrested because they were not found to be in possession of any marijuana.

All five players will be suspended for Saturday’s home game against Vanderbilt, a decision made by head coach Gary Pinkel, according to a statement from team spokesman Chad Moller.

“We’re aware of the incident and have addressed it,” Moller said in an email statement. “All individuals involved have been immediately suspended from the program for one game. All other disciplinary measures will be handled internally, and there will be no further comment.”

All four other players besides Green-Beckham are redshirt candidates this season.

Green-Beckham caught his first career touchdown pass on Saturday, an 80-yard reception in a victory at Central Florida. In five games for the Tigers (3-2, 0-2 Southeastern Conference), Green-Beckham has seven catches for 128 yards.

DGB was the nation’s top recruit last year according to most of the top recruiting services, and beat most national career receiving records in high school, including the record for career receiving yards.

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Hillcrest High School coach John Beckham, Dorial’s adoptive father, did not return phone calls this afternoon. His Hornets play host tonight to Parkview in a matchup of top Ozark Conference teams at Hoyt Shumate Stadium.

However, in an interview in May, days before Green-Beckham enrolled at Mizzou, Beckham noted that the spotlight will continue to be on the blue-chip player.

“He’s a role model for a lot of kids, and I hope he understands that and doesn’t do anything stupid,” Beckham said then. “If he does something stupid, it will be on ESPN.”

Arrest counter to city policy

The fact that Green-Beckham was taken into custody appears to run counter to Columbia city ordinance — but not campus police policy, Weimer said.

Columbia voters passed an ordinance in 2004 limiting the penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana. The law — which inspired the Springfield initiative petition City Council recently deep-sixed — says that someone caught with less than 35 grams “shall not be required to post bond, suffer arrest, be taken into custody for any purpose …”

Suspects should be detained only in order to be written a ticket, according to the law, which contains exceptions for those suspected of more serious crimes or who have a history of past convictions.

Dan Viets, a criminal defense attorney who helped draft the Columbia ordinance, said Columbia police generally follow the ordinance. But it’s not uncommon for officers with the MU Police Department — a separate agency — to arrest people found with small amounts of marijuana.

“They claim they need to take them in so they can photograph them and fingerprint them,” Viets said.

Weimer, the university police captain, said the department does not think the city ordinance applies to its officers.

“We were not affected by that ordinance because we are not municipal police,” he said. “Courts have asked us to continue to do that, so that’s why was he was arrested.”

Viets disagrees, although he said he and other supporters of the law haven’t pushed the issue.

He said campus police do follow the provision in the law that calls for such cases to be sent through municipal court, where Green-Beckham likely faces relatively minor penalties if he pleads guilty or is convicted.

Columbia’s law sets a maximum fine of $250 and encourages the use of alternative punishments such as community service or drug counseling.